KARACHI: A week after the imposition of the governor`s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PPP chief Bilawal BhuttoZardari on Sunday extended an olive branch to the opposition parties, saying their positive engagement with the federal government could result in the reversal of the decision.

Talking to reporters after visiting the Karsaz memorial to mark the 19th anniversary of the deadly bombing that targeted the homecoming procession of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the PPP chairman invited the opposition to join the parliamentary electoral reforms process and `engage with the federal government`.

He said the PPP was also working to develop a new National Action Plan and build a fresh national consensus to combat terrorism, urging the opposition to jointheeffortandplayitsroleinaddressing the country`s security challenges.

`There`s a need for collective efforts to address the economic crisis, combat terrorism and improve the electoral system. The PPP is working on a new National Action Plan and building a fresh national consensus to combat terrorism. On the parliamentary front, the federal government has agreed with us and established a committee on electoral reforms,` he claimed.

He once again invited the opposition to play its role in the proposed electoralreforms committee, hoping it could also benefit their political future. `If you [opposition] want governor`s rule and the emergency system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to end, you should engage with the federal government and play your role in the electoral reforms committee,` said the PPP chairman.

The PPP chief, however, defended the imposition of an emergency in KP, saying the move was prompted by the provincial government`s lack of seriousness in tackling terrorism. `In the province witnessing the highest number of terrorist attacks, the chief minister went before the public and declared that he would not fight the terrorists,` he said.

`The KP chief minister is a coward. If he is not ready to defend his own land and confront these terrorists, the Pakistan Peoples Party is ready to fight them. This is why we supported the government`s decision [to impose governor`s rule].

He said that no one would be allowed to challenge the writ of the state. `Pakistan is going through a historic economic crisis and as things stand, the situation may worsen rather than improve,` he said.

Responding to a question, Mr BhuttoZardari said that the party had nominated Faisal Karim Kundi for the office of KP governor, but he is now constitutionally a representative of the federal government and reports to it.

`Iwould continue to speak to Governor Kundi and offer him advice but in principle the governor is now working with the federal government,` he said.

New provinces The PPP chairman said that his party believed that new provinces could be created under the Constitution if the relevant provincial assembly agreed to the move. `The PPP believes that where there is a consensus, and the proposal is not merely a political gimmick or driven by some other motive, then why should new provinces not be created?` he said.

`Gilgit-Baltistan is an example. There is no confusion or difference of opinion on the issue there. A consensus exists among the stakeholders on the creation of a new province. Then why arenew provinces not being created where there is already a consensus?` Responding to a question about the recent criticism by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the latter`s party had also suffered from terrorist attacks and lost its workers in such inci-dents.

`I hope Maulana Fazl will continue to criticise us politically but he should also condemn the terrorists. All political parties should avoid politicising the issue of terrorism and should not make counterterrorism efforts controversial,` he added.